Smilax aspera L.

Climbing or creeping, glabrous shrub to 15 m.. Stems 4-6-angled, flexuose, unarmed or prickly.. Leaves alternate; petiole 1-2 cm., not thickened towards apex, with long tendrils inserted at base; blade triangular, oblong, ovate, lanceolate, sometimes reniform, sometimes blotched with white, 3-15 cm. long, 2-7 cm. broad, acute to acuminate at the apex, cordate, hastate, truncate or sagittate at the base, coriaceous to subcoriaceous, 5-9-nerved, petiole, margins, adaxial midrib and nerves beneath sometimes prickly, prickles 1-3 mm. long.. Inflorescence of sessile and subsessile umbels, inserted distichously along an extended flexuose rhachis, 1.5-15 cm. long; bracteoles very small; pedicels 2-9 mm., longer than the flowers.. Perianth-segments linear-oblong to elliptic, obtuse, 2-4(-5) × 1 mm., white, cream, greenish, pink, yellowish or brownish, fragrant; inner segments equal to or more often shorter and narrower than outer.. Stamens shorter than the perianth; anthers yellow-green, shorter than the filaments.. Staminodes 6.. Ovary green; stigmas oblong, recurved.. Berry red or black, 5-8 mm. wide, 3-seeded.. Fig. 1.

It grows in temperate and tropical locations. In Nepal it grows between 1200-2900 m altitude. It grows on forest trees in moist places. It suits hardiness zones 8-10. In Yunnan.

The tender leaves and shoots are cooked as a vegetable. They are also added to salads. They are also pickled. The roots yield a kind of sarsaparilla. The young stems are boiled or fried. They are also made into omelettes.

Plants are grown from seed.